1770. ROUND THE WORLD. 77 



the afternoon anchored under the south shore, about 

 two miles within the entrance, in six fathom water, 

 the south point bearing S. E., and the north point 

 East. As we came in we saw, on both points of the 

 bay, a few huts, and several of the natives, men, 

 women, and children. Under the south head we 

 saw four small canoes, with each one man on board, 

 who were very busily employed in striking fish with 

 a long pike or spear. They ventured almost into the 

 surf, and were so intent upon what they were doing, 

 that although the ship passed within a quarter of a 

 mile of them, they scarcely turned their eyes toward 

 her ; possibly, being deafened by the surf, and their 

 attention wholly fixed upon their business or sport, 

 they neither saw nor heard her go past them. 



The place where the ship had anchored was 

 abreast of a small village, consisting of about six or 

 eight houses ; and while we were preparing to hoist 

 out the boat, we saw an old woman, followed by 

 three children, come out of the wood ; she was loaded 

 with fire-wood, and each of the children had also its 

 little burden. When she came to the houses, three 

 more children, younger than the others, came out to 

 meet her : she often looked at the ship, but expressed 

 neither fear nor surprise. In a short time she kindled 

 a fire, and the four canoes came in from fishing. The 

 men landed, and having hauled up their boats, began 

 to dress their dinner, to all appearance, wholly uncon- 

 cerned about us, though we were within half a mile of 

 them. We thought it remarkable that all of the 

 people we had yet seen, not one had the least appear- 

 ance of clothing, the old woman herself being desti- 

 tute even of a fig-leaf. 



After dinner the boats were manned, and we set 

 out from the ship, having Tupia of our party. We 

 intended to land where we saw the people, and began 

 to hope that as they had so little regarded the ship's 

 coining into the bay, they would as little regard our 

 coming on shore. In this, however, we were disap- 



